broadband

When we think about the problem of achieving affordable access to the Internet for all, the discussion often focuses on broadband targets. These targets are moving goalposts as infrastructure improves. Broadband used to be defined at 256Kbps, now it might be 2Mbps or 5Mbps or something else depending on who you talk to.

Since the announcement of the EASSy undersea cable in 2005, Open Access has been a term of significant debate in the development of undersea cable initiatives and in the general strategic development of communication infrastructure in Africa. Yet, it is a term that is variously understood and often abused especially by the marketing departments of undersea cable initiatives. There is not an African undersea cable initiative that doesn’t claim to be Open Access but all operate on different ownership and pricing models.